| Not a day goes by where I don't stumble across | | | | they can be. Thus, your choices to work around |
| a web page or marketing collateral where the | | | | this are to either (a) learn how to use styles, or |
| design mistakes have run amuck. | | | | (b) hire someone to do it for you. |
| Font Fiasco. What was Noah told when collecting | | | | Navigation Nightmare. Oh...where to begin. No page |
| animals for the ark? "Only two." The same applies | | | | numbers, or page numbers that start with the |
| for documents. Not only should you only pick two | | | | cover page instead of the first page of the first |
| fonts, but one should be serif (e.g., Times New | | | | chapter. Improper flow with topics bouncing all |
| Roman) and one should be sans serif (e.g., Arial, | | | | over. No table of contents for documents longer |
| Verdana, etc.). And, the serif font should be used | | | | than 20 pages or with substantial headings |
| for titles as it's easier to read in large font type. | | | | subheadings. No index for large documents. |
| Color Collision. Somewhere, someone opened the | | | | Unclear titles. Headers and footers with too much |
| heavens and said, "use a rainbow of colors in your | | | | information. The list goes on and on. If you're |
| documents." Ah...no. We're back to the "only two" | | | | going to write it yourself, then do it right. Learn |
| approach. If you have a hard time deciding which | | | | how to insert page numbers and header/footers |
| two to select, take the item (and this could be | | | | properly. Generate a table of Contents (and if you |
| the logo, a picture, etc.) that is the cornerstone of | | | | use styles, this can done with just one click of a |
| your document, and select the two main colors in | | | | button in MS Word). Apply index markings to |
| that item. | | | | make key items easier to find. |
| Here's how: if your main item is a logo following | | | | Graphic Gotchas. Graphics must only be done one |
| these steps: (a) put the logo on screen on a white | | | | way: by someone who knows how to do |
| background; (b) close your eyes and count to 10; | | | | graphics. This is not amateur hour or "I think I'll |
| (c) open your eyes quickly and identify the first | | | | see what PhotoShop does". Graphical depiction is a |
| two colors that catch your eye. | | | | direct reflection on you. Just slapping a bunch of |
| Those are your two colors. Of these two colors, | | | | clipart images on a page - let alone those that |
| the one that has more presence becomes your | | | | don't have the same general "look and feel" - |
| primary; the other your secondary. | | | | looks sloppy, cheesy, and unprofessional. Stick |
| Formatting Faux Pas. This is the #1 reason I have | | | | with a professional on this. |
| a job. Even though I'm a writer, I spend 75% of | | | | Any document that has your name attached to it |
| my time formatting documents. The majority of | | | | immediately becomes tied to your image. You |
| non-professional writers wielding a pen have no | | | | wouldn't leave the house with two different color |
| idea how to create styles or how to use them. | | | | shoes or brown shirt and gray pants, would you? |
| I've been using them for years and know how | | | | The same is true for your materials: they should |
| much of a time saver and document enhancer | | | | be a proper reflection of you. |